WOOSH!
In an instant, a massive, overwhelming wave of pure, blue chakra exploded around his body like a roaring hurricane, blowing back the dust, tiles, and even Hizashi's advance in a single, terrifying burst!
Hizashi's feet skidded across the broken roof tiles, his arms crossed over his face as the sheer physical weight of that explosive, roaring blue chakra pressed against him like a tidal wave.
The white-robed Hyuga guards surrounding the rooftop gasped, their Byakugan eyes widening in absolute shock.
The stranger's chakra wasn't just large—it was bottomless, overwhelming, and so dense that the very air around the courtyard felt thick enough to suffocate them.
Standing right in the eye of the swirling chakra storm, the cloaked man held his simple cross-hand seal perfectly steady. His eyes glinted with a quiet, legendary confidence beneath the dark shadow of his collar.
He looked at Hizashi, who was gritting his teeth in deep caution, and then at the dozen panicked guards backing away on the roof beams.
He didn't need to fight them. He didn't want to hurt them. But if they were going to block every single exit and charge at him with full killing intent without listening to a single word... he was going to make sure they were far too busy to stop him.
The stranger's lips curved into a sharp, familiar grin hidden beneath his coat.
"TAJU KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!" he yelled out, his loud, expressive voice ringing through the entire estate like thunder.
POOF! POOF! POOF! POOF! POOF!
A blinding, dense wall of pure white smoke exploded across the entire back perimeter of the Hyuga Compound!
It didn't just summon two or three clones. The white smoke billowed over the roof tiles, pouring into the courtyard, covering the bamboo gardens, and spilling onto the perimeter walls.
When the thick smoke cleared a second later, Hizashi's jaw dropped in absolute, unadulterated horror.
Every single inch of the roof, every garden path, every wall top, and even the courtyard below was completely packed with dozens upon dozens of identical cloaked figures!
Hundreds of absolute, solid physical clones stood side-by-side, filling the entire estate to absolute capacity!
"WHAT IN THE WORLD?!" one of the Hyuga guards shrieked, stumbling backward off a roof beam in sheer terror. "HOW CAN ONE PERSON HAVE THIS MUCH CHAKRA?!"
"Find the real one! Find him your the Byakugans!" Hizashi shouted in panic, his veins throbbing violently around his eyes as he looked around at the sea of identical men.
But as every Hyuga guard focused their white eyes onto the figure, their faces turned completely pale. Every single clone possessed an equal, massive distribution of chakra. It was physically impossible to distinguish the original!
All hundreds of cloaked clones crossed their arms simultaneously, looking down at Hizashi with the exact same dry, amused smirk.
"Like I said..." all hundreds of voices echoed together in perfect, synchronized harmony, filling the twilight sky. "...you guys are way too hot-blooded. Now if you'll excuse me... I've got a kid to find!"
Before Hizashi could even order an attack, the massive army of clones scattered in every single direction at once, completely swarming the compound in a chaotic, golden blur!
THE HOKAGE MONUMENT
The cold night wind whipped across the carved stone faces of the Hokage Monument. The sudden, earth-shattering news from the Yamanaka messenger hung in the air like a heavy dark cloud.
Hiruzen lowered his wooden pipe, his hand trembling slightly as his eyes widened in sheer, unbelievable shock.
"A... a third Kyuubi Jinchuuriki...?" Hiruzen repeated slowly, his aged voice cracking under the sheer weight of those words. "Did I hear you correctly...?"
Standing beside him, Minato's heart thundered violently against his ribs. Behind his calm, handsome face, his mind was racing at top speed, trying to make sense of the absolute chaos.
'Earlier today, my squad's ANBU confirmed there were two Nine-Tails signatures in the area...' Minato thought frantically, a cold sweat breaking out on the back of his neck. 'And now... a third one has suddenly appeared inside the village?! What the hell is going on here?!'
Koharu adjusted her stance, her face turning completely pale as she shook her head in utter disbelief. "It... it would have made a little sense if the count went from one to two..." she muttered, her hands trembling.
"That alone would have been a little sensible! But to jump straight from one to three?! That is a massive, impossible jump!"
Homura adjusted his glasses with shaking fingers, his voice sharp with anxiety. "It defies all known laws of chakra! How could there possibly be more than one Kyuubi Jinchuuriki existing in the world at the exact same time?!"
Minato stared off toward the village below, his bright blue eyes narrowing as the mystery grew darker by the second.
'Three Nine-Tails... identical jutsu... identical chakra...' Minato thought, his jaw clenching tight. 'What on earth is happening to Konoha...?'
HYUGA COMPOUND
While the council was losing their minds up on the building, the chaotic storm of clones down at the Hyuga estate was finally beginning to clear.
Standing on the high roof tiles above the swarming courtyard, the mysterious, high-collared man lowered his hand as his massive army of clones poofed away into thick clouds of white smoke.
The moonlight finally broke through the clouds, illuminating his sharp, handsome features.
THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER WAS NONE OTHER THAN UZUMAKI NARUTO.
He was a full-fledged man in his late twenties, possessing a tall, strong build and an effortless, quiet confidence that radiated pure power.
He had arrived from a time just four years into the future—the very same timeline from which Sasuke, the dark "Black Devil" shinobi, and Minato himself had crossed over.
In that future timeline, he and Minato hadn't shared a simple, peaceful father-and-son relationship. They were legendary battlefield teammates—two absolute monsters who had fought side-by-side, back-to-back, through the absolute worst horrors of war.
He was one of the hero of the world.
He was the legendary warrior who held the power of Kyuubi within him.
And he was the very man whom the village sensory barrier had just detected and titled as... The Third Kyuubi Jinchuuriki.
Naruto adjusted his dark high-collared jacket, looking out over the glowing lights of the village with a sharp, determined gaze.
"Hang tight, Shinnachiku..." Naruto whispered softly into the night breeze, his bright blue eyes shining like stars. "I'll be just in a while."
The reason that Adult Naruto actually manage to cross over into this past timeline was —because of a little four-year-old Shinnachiku and a small, loyal Katsuyu clone named Suyu-chan.
Katsuyu had stayed right by the boy's side the entire time. Even though Shinnachiku was far too little to have a formal blood summoning contract, his raw instinct and bloodline unlocked a absolute miracle.
Fueled by a sudden, massive surge of power, the toddler triggered a forceful Reverse Summoning Jutsu.
Because of an earlier accidental jump where a single slug had slipped into the past, Naruto and his allies in the future had placed their ultimate faith in this tiny chance.
Back in the future era, Naruto had been patiently waiting inside the massive mouth of a giant Katsuyu clone.
When Shinnachiku's Reverse Summoning ripped through space and time, it didn't just pull a regular summon. It dragged that big future slug straight through the temporal rift, causing a massive explosion of white smoke right in the middle of the past era!
And because Katsuyu's body is part of one single, giant connected mind, the very second this future clone materialized in the past, its mind instantly synced with the Great Katsuyu resting in Shikkotsu Forest!
Decades of future knowledge, medical secrets, and tactical memories transferred into the past entity in a single heartbeat.
Slowly, the giant slug opened its massive jaw, allowing Naruto to step out into the past, completely safe and sound because the summoning jutsu had carried the slug's entire body—and everything inside it—across time!
"GET HIM!" Hizashi's voice echoed through the compound like thunder.""DO NOT LET A SINGLE CLONE ESCAPE!"
Dozens of high-ranking Hyuga warriors charged at once, their white eyes glowing with chakra as they unleashed a rain of rapid-fire Gentle Fist strikes. Palms thrust forward, targeting every single chakra point in sight.
In an ordinary fight, this would be an absolute death trap.
But for Naruto? This was basically a warm-up game.
WOOSH!
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Easy on the eyes, uncle!" one of Naruto's clones shouted, ducking under a palm strike so smoothly it looked like he was dancing.
"Wait I am around a few years older than you... So you are not an Uncle of mine.... " Naruto said.
TAP! TAP! TAP!
A senior Hyuga guard landed three direct strikes right onto a clone's chest, grinning with confidence. "Got you! Your chakra network is sealed!"
The clone just stood there, looking down at the guard's hands on his chest, then looked up with a completely 'I'm so done' expression.
"Umm..a piece of advice for you... you gotta hit way harder than that!" the clone said casually.
POOF!
The clone turned into a puff of white smoke, leaving the guard standing there with his jaw practically touching the ground.
Across the courtyard, Hizashi was moving like a white-and-black storm. His hands were a complete blur, striking through five clones in less than two seconds.
But no matter how many he popped, three more appeared in their place, lounging on roof tiles, leaning against bamboo trees, and waving politely at the furious Hyuga.
"Why isn't anyone trying to talk this out?!" Naruto's real body grumbled from the top of a stone lantern, dodging a flying kunai without even looking. "I literally said I'm just looking for a kid!"
"SILENCE!" Hizashi roared, leaping high into the air above him. He spun his body violently, releasing a massive dome of compressed, spinning chakra that tore up the stone tiles beneath!
"Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven!"
The giant blue chakra sphere expanded rapidly, threatening to crush everything in its path!
The guards cheered, believing no one could survive a direct hit from the Hyuga's absolute defense.
Naruto just tilted his head, watching the massive spinning vortex with a slight, amused grin.
"Oh, nice spin! But check this out...I got a more enhanced one!" Naruto called out.
Instead of backing away, Naruto dropped down directly in front of the roaring chakra dome. He raised his right hand into the air.
BRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
A high-pitched, deafening screech filled the entire estate! A sphere of pure, blinding white chakra materialized in his palm, surrounded by four rapidly spinning, giant wind blades that created a small hurricane right inside the courtyard!
The shear wind pressure from the Rasenshuriken was so immense that the Hyuga guards were instantly blown backward, holding onto trees and wooden pillars just to stay on their feet!
Hizashi stopped his Rotation instantly, landing on the ground as his white eyes shrank in pure, unadulterated terror. The sheer, crushing weight of the wind chakra in front of him felt like staring at a literal god of war.
"W-What is that technique...?!" Hizashi gasped, his voice trembling for the first time all evening.
Naruto stood there holding the miniature storm in one hand, his dark jacket blowing wildly in the gale-force wind. He looked around at the dozen frozen, terrified guards who had completely stopped attacking.
Then, Naruto gave a goofy, cheerful grin, tossed the spinning Rasenshuriken gently up in the air like a juggling ball, and caught it casually before letting it dissolve into thin air.
FLICKER!
Before anyone could even blink, Naruto vanished.
A split second later, he was leaning casually against a pillar right behind Hizashi, leaning over his shoulder with his hands resting behind his head.
"So... like I was saying before you guys started throwing palms..." Naruto said with a bright, sunny chuckle, ".....have any of you seen a tiny, hyperactive four-year-old running around here?"
While hundreds of Naruto's clones were currently running wild across the Hyuga compound, causing absolute, hilarious chaos for Hizashi and his guards, the eastern side of Konoha was dead quiet.
The high-security facility stood in complete shadow near the central heart of the village. Built from heavy dark wood with traditional tiled roofs, the grand structure radiated an intense authority and strict discipline.
Long stone pathways swept around its outer walls, leading back toward a dense, restricted forest that stretched quietly behind the main grounds.
Unlike the peaceful, quiet residential quarter nearby, this place felt completely serious—a fortress of law, tactical planning, and absolute power.
Proudly displayed right above the heavy wooden entrance was a giant red and white fan symbol, painted boldly for all to see. Banners bearing the same crest hung from the tall posts, fluttering gently in the cool evening breeze.
This grand, imposing base was none other than the official stronghold of the Uchiha Clan—the Konoha Military Police Force Headquarters.
UCHIHA POLICE HEADQUARTERS
Stepping past the heavy entrance and moving deep down the main corridor, the air grew noticeably cold.
Far away from the administrative offices, a heavy iron door led straight into the holding cell area. Inside, thick stone walls muffled all outside noise, creating a heavy, suffocating silence.
Standing along the far side of the room were sturdy cell bars, locked tight with heavy iron seals. Directly outside the cell sat a couple of simple wooden tables and chairs.
They were positioned neatly on the polished floor—a quiet spot designated for official interrogations, quick guard shifts, and writing down incident reports.
The air inside smelled faintly of ink, polished wood, and old leather.
It was a cold, silent, and highly efficient place of authority—where every single footstep echoed with absolute weight, waiting for someone to break the silence.
Inside the heavy iron cell, sitting on the freezing stone floor, was a tiny boy. He couldn't be more than six years old.
His dark shirt swallowed his small frame, and his messy raven hair hung limp around his face. His fragile wrists were locked tightly in heavy iron chakra cuffs that looked far too big and heavy for his small body.
Worst of all, a dark paper talisman was slapped directly across the upper half of his face, completely covering his eyes.
The black-inked characters on the tag pulsed softly, sealing his vision and suppressing his chakra.
Blindfolded, cuffed, and trapped in total darkness, the helpless six-year-old child could only pull his knees toward his chest, trembling silently from the cold.
This frightened, bound child was none other than Mini Uchiha Sasuke.
Just outside the cell bars stood a tall, imposing man. His arms were tightly crossed over his chest, and his dark eyes burned with a stern, icy authority that made the air in the room freeze.
He wore a high-collared dark shirt, heavy tactical vest armor, and a proud red and white fan emblem stitched onto his upper sleeve.
Standing right in front of the wooden interrogation table, looking down at the cuffed boy with a jaw locked tight in serious, unyielding pressure, was his father who never knew that the kid in front of him is his son—Uchiha Fugaku.
Directly behind him stood two silent, muscular figures. They wore matching dark police flak jackets with forehead protectors bound tightly around their brows.
Positioned like stoic stone statues, their hands rested near their weapon pouches, completely motionless.
They were two elite Uchiha Military Police Guards, standing at absolute attention.
The room was suffocated in a dark, painful silence, broken only by the quiet, shaky breathing of the cuffed child in the cell.
Fugaku stared through the dark iron bars at the quiet, cuffed child on the floor. His sharp brow furrowed slightly as a strange, nagging feeling crept into the back of his mind.
'He... he looks so familiar...' Fugaku thought, his eyes narrowing in deep suspicion.
Behind him, one of the elite guards broke the heavy silence, his voice trembling with sheer anxiety.
"Fugaku-sama... the situation is getting far worse!" the guard reported nervously.
"Half of our military force was completely massacred in broad daylight over in the Commercial District... If someone comes to break into this facility and get this brat... we are completely done for!"
Inside the dark cell, little Sasuke heard every single word. His tiny ears perked up under the heavy paper tag covering his eyes.
'Tou-san...' Sasuke cried out in his head, his heart thumping wildly against his chest. 'Tou-san is standing right in front of me...! Speak... speak to him... speak...!'
He squeezed his small eyes shut under the paper seal.
'But... how can I...?' he thought, a violent shiver running through his tiny shoulders. 'The last time I tried to speak... I ended up like this. Cuffed... blindfolded... locked away in the dark. If I try to speak a second time...'
Hot, heavy tears welled up beneath the black-inked paper, streaming down his pale cheeks and soaking into his collar.
'...who knows? I might really end up dead...'
Outside the cell, Fugaku kept his cold gaze fixed on the boy, his voice stern and cold.
"Don't panic. That is the exact reason I am heading to Hokage-sama right now to request a team of Jonin to be placed over here."
The second guard shifted uncomfortably, speaking up with a tight, doubtful frown.
"Jonin...? But... Fugaku-sama, I think we all know those Konoha Jonin will not cooperate with our police force..."
Right at that exact second, something clicked in Fugaku's mind.
The messy raven hair... the small, stubborn shape of his jaw...
'That's it...' Fugaku realized, his breath catching in his throat as his eyes widened in absolute shock. 'He looks like... he looks like Hikaru...!'
His dark brows furrowed deeply. A sudden, explosive surge of sheer frustration and intense pressure boiled over inside him!
CLANG!
Fugaku gripped the cold iron cell bars so tightly his knuckles turned completely white! He whipped around, his face dark with fury as he roared at the terrified guards!
"THEN MAKE THEM COOPERATE, YOU FOOL!!"
The deafening roar echoed like a cannon blast through the stone corridor!
Inside the cell, little Sasuke flinched violently, pulling his cuffed hands against his chest in absolute terror! Even the two elite police guards stumbled backward, their faces turning ghost-white under his terrifying wrath!
"This time is no less than an all-out war!" Fugaku shouted, his sharp voice ringing with lethal authority. "Your job is to protect the clan, the village, and our captives! NOT your mood!"
The guard who had spoken was completely petrified, bowing his head as low as it could go in sheer panic. "M-My deepest apologies, Captain!!"
Fugaku took a slow, deep breath, turning his body back around to stare at the small, trembling boy in the cell.
'His son... maybe...?' Fugaku thought, his dark eyes gleaming with a calculated light.
A sharp, cold smirk slowly spread across Fugaku's lips.
'I can use this brat against Hikaru... Perfect.'
He turned on his heel, his heavy cape swishing behind him as he addressed the two guard officers one last time, glaring over his broad shoulder.
"All eyes on him. Is that understood?" Fugaku commanded in a low, dangerous tone. "I need zero mistakes."
Both guards snapped straight to attention, pounding their fists over their chests!
"YES, SIR!"
The heavy iron door clicked shut, the sound of Fugaku-sama's retreating footsteps slowly fading down the long stone corridor.
The moment he was completely out of earshot, the suffocating pressure in the room instantly went back to normal.
The guard on the left let out a massive sigh of relief, dropping his shoulders and leaning his back heavily against the cold wall. He ran a hand through his hair, wiping away the cold sweat on his forehead.
"Man..." the guard groaned, shaking his head. "I thought Fugaku-sama was going to execute us right on the spot! Did you see his face?! He completely lost his temper!"
The second guard snorted, pulling out a wooden chair and sitting down with a smirk. "Can you blame him? Half our squad got wiped out in broad daylight, the council is breathing down his neck, and now he's running around screaming at us to make the Konoha Jonin 'COOPERATE'! As if those high-and-mighty ninjas ever listen to our police force anyway!"
"Right?!" the first guard scoffed, leaning over the wooden table. "He looked like he was about to explode! 'THEN COOPERATE YOU FOOL!' I swear, the chief has zero patience left today."
Inside the dark cell, little Sasuke stayed frozen on the floor, his tiny cuffed hands shaking as he listened to them complain.
The sitting guard turned his head toward the cell, resting his chin in his palm as he stared through the iron bars at the blindfolded, trembling six-year-old.
"Hey, brat!" the guard called out casually, kicking the bottom leg of the wooden table.
CLANG!
"You hear that? The chief just walked out the door. The very man who dragged you in here yesterday evening isn't around to glare at you, so you can stop freezing up now."
The other guard walked over to the bars, chuckling as he leaned down. "Seriously, kid, who even are you anyway? Fugaku-sama locked you up like you're some dangerous enemy, but you don't look like much of a threat to me... just a scared little child sitting in the dark."
Mini Sasuke bit his lower lip so hard it almost bled, tears still soaking through the sealing paper on his face. He didn't say a single wordk.
"Look at him, he can't even speak!" the guard laughed, tossing a small wooden pebble through the bars, bouncing it off Sasuke's shoulder. "Come on, say something! Or did the sealing tag freeze your tongue too?"
The two guards shared a laugh, completely relaxed, convinced they were in the safest, most secure room in the entire facility.
They had absolutely no idea that outside the heavy iron door... the ultimate party crasher had just arrived.
BOOOOOOOOM!!!!!
An earth-shattering explosion ripped through the building! The entire stone floor violent trembled, sending deep cracks racing across the walls as dust rained down from the ceiling!
"AAAAAAAHHHH!"
Inside the dark cell, Mini Sasuke let out a sharp, terrified scream, curling into a tight ball as the deafening roar shook his tiny body to the core.
Blindfolded and cuffed, he had no idea what was happening, his heart pounding like a frantic drum in his chest!
The two guards were instantly thrown off balance, their jaws dropping in pure, unadulterated shock. The wooden chair flipped over, clattering against the floor.
"W-WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" the sitting guard shouted, scrambling to his feet with wide, frantic eyes.
"Did something collapse outside?!" the second guard yelled, his face turning pale. "Go check it out! You come with me too, quickly!"
Abandoning their post at the cell, both guards rushed toward the heavy iron exit door, slamming it open and bursting into the outer corridor.
The moment they stepped out, they were met with a wall of total chaos.
Thick, blinding gray dust and debris filled the entire hallway like a dense fog. Smoke drifted through the air, completely blocking their view of the main corridor.
The massive outer wall of the facility had been completely blasted open, leaving a gaping hole where heavy dark wood and reinforced stone used to be.
SCHWING! SCHWING!
Both Uchiha guards instantly drew their sharp katanas, holding the steel blades out in front of them with shaking, defensive stances.
They rushed through the heavy cloud of spinning dust, their eyes frantically searching for whatever monster had just blown through the fortress defenses.
"HEY!" the lead guard roared, his voice trembling despite his angry tone as he pointed his katana straight into the smoke. "IDENTIFY YOURSELF RIGHT NOW!!"
Out of the thick, swirling fog of gray dust, a tall, calm figure slowly emerged.
His dark, raven hair brushed against his face as he walked through the debris without a single hint of fear.
Held safely against his side was a quiet, small child, protected from the falling rocks and drifting smoke.
Hearing the guard's trembling yell, the dark-haired intruder stopped in his tracks. A small, confident smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he casually tilted his head toward the two armed men.
"Identify myself?" he replied, his voice smooth, relaxed, and dripping with cheeky charm. "Is that really how you welcome someone who just walked right through your front gates? Your security is surprisingly noisy today."
The lead guard's hands shook as he gripped his katana tighter, staring at the stranger through the dust.
"SHUT UP!" the guard snarled, taking a frantic step forward.""WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?! WHY ARE YOU BREAKING INTO THE POLICE HEADQUARTERS WITH A CHILD?!"
The tall figure let out a low chuckle, though his dark eyes drifted away for a split second, searching the empty hallway around him.
'Where did she even run off to...?' he thought to himself, a slight, fond smirk playing on his lips. 'Knowing her, she's probably causing her own trouble somewhere else in this village right now...'
He brought his focus back to the two guards, adjusting his grip on the little child by his side as his tone turned sharp and cold.
"I'm on a pretty tight schedule—" he said casually, taking another slow step forward as the sheer pressure around him made the heavy air freeze. "So unless you want to find out what happens when I stop being polite... drop those katanas."
A QUIET ALLEWAY
The bustling streets of Konoha had finally gone quiet for the night. Hidden away behind a closed dango shop, far from the main road, was a small, narrow alleyway.
A single paper lantern hung high on the wooden wall above, casting a warm, soft yellow glow across the dark stone path.
The sweet, lingering smell of toasted rice cakes and caramelized sauce still filled the cool night air, making the quiet corner feel safe and cozy.
Sitting on a small wooden bench tucked under the shop's back roof were two young girls, seeking shelter from the chilly midnight breeze.
The first girl had striking, vibrant bright red hair that fell loosely past her shoulders. Her sharp, beautiful red eyes with black glasses glittered softly under the lantern light as she leaned back against the wall, quietly watching the entrance of the empty alley.
Next to her sat another twelve-year-old girl. She had soft, unique cherry-blossom pink hair that framed her delicate face. Her big, bright emerald-green eyes reflected the warm glow of the lantern, filled with a quiet mixture of deep thought and determination.
Sitting together in the peaceful shadow of the shop, sharing the quiet midnight air, were none other than Uzumaki Karin and Haruno Sakura.
Sakura gently held a small, worn pouch in her palm, counting the few remaining coins inside.
"We're pretty low on cash..." Sakura said softly, her bright emerald eyes looking down at the small purse. A quiet sigh escaped her lips.
"With what we have left... we can probably survive until tomorrow only."
Hearing those words, Karin's shoulders slumped. She squeezed her hands tightly in her lap, her red eyes filled with a heavy wave of guilt.
"I'm sorry..." Karin murmured in a low, apologetic voice, bowing her head. "Because of me..."
Karin squeezed her hands tightly in her lap, bowing her head as her red hair shadowed her face.
'I'm sorry...' Karin thought bitterly to herself, her eyes stinging as a crushing wave of guilt suffocated her chest. 'Why did we all split up?! If I was just stronger... if we had just stayed together... none of this would be happening!'
"Don't be—" Sakura interrupted quickly, her voice warm and gentle as a reassuring smile spread across her face. She reached out, patting Karin's arm softly to instantly lift her spirits.
Sakura closed the worn coin pouch, but as she looked down at her hands, a sharp, suffocating ache violently tightened around her own heart.
'Why... why did we let everyone get separated... We should have listened to Mini Sasuke-kun?' Sakura thought, her breath catching in her throat as painful regret washed over her mind.
Memories of all of them together flashed through her head—their noisy arguments, the warm meals, the feeling of safety when they were a team. Now, they were scattered across a cold, dangerous village.
Sakura slowly looked up at the vast, dark night sky, her emerald eyes glittering under the cold starlight.
'Where are they right now...?' her thoughts wept silently, her heart bleeding especially for two familiar faces.
'Is Naruto out there somewhere in the dark... hungry, reckless, and searching for us all alone? Is Sasuke-ku....'
A cold silent stretched in her mind
'Would he really be thinking about us..Naruto..me?...'
The sheer weight of missing them made her chest feel tight, but she forced the tears back, swallowing the pain down.
Taking a quiet, steadying breath as her pink hair swayed in the midnight breeze, Sakura turned her gaze into pure, unyielding resolve.
'No... I won't just sit here and cry—' she declared in her head, her inner strength flaring back to life.
"I've decided—" Sakura spoke aloud, her voice soft yet firm against the quiet night air. "We're going to look for everyone."
Karin looked at her in surprise before a warm, genuine smile broke across her face. She gave a firm, confident nod.
"Right!" Karin agreed.
Together, the girls stood up from the wooden bench. Turning away from the quiet alley, they stepped out onto the dimly lit main street.
Under the wide, glowing canopy of the midnight stars, they began walking together, blending smoothly into the passing nighttime crowd as they set off on their search.
As Sakura and Karin walked through the nighttime crowd, the faint voices of a few local women chatting outside a tea shop caught their attention.
"Did you hear the Yamanaka rumor?" one woman whispered, leaning in closer to her friend.
"Oh, please!" the second woman scoffed, waving her hand casually.
"That's old news! Do you really think I wouldn't know about an incident that happened just half an hour ago?"
Sakura's ears caught the conversation instantly, her emerald eyes narrowing as she listened to the passing chatter.
'Right...' Sakura thought to herself, her mind racing. 'The Yamanaka incident... how could I forget about that...?'
She remembered the strange, shocking details she had gathered earlier.
'From what I heard, just half an hour ago... a girl who was held captive since yesterday afternoon has completely escaped. But the most interesting part is... every single Yamanaka member who was assigned to watch her activities is now being suspected of letting her out...'
Karin suddenly nudged her arm, breaking Sakura out of her deep train of thought.
"I guess we should look for Ino-san—" Karin suggested, glancing over at her. "Since she's already out."
Sakura gave a firm nod.
"YEAH."
As they kept walking, Sakura's brow furrowed tightly in deep suspicion as she analyzed the situation further in her head.
'As far as I know, Ino doesn't possess a specialized jutsu strong enough to mind-control multiple high-ranking Yamanaka members at once...' Sakura thought, her heart thumping softly. '
If it wasn't her... then who actually pulled that off...?'
Taking a sharp turn down the street, Sakura turned to Karin with a serious, determined look.
"We'll head toward the place near the Yamanaka clan estate—"
---